Evaluating the Effectiveness of Subchondroplasty for Treating Bone Marrow Lesions of the Knee

Exclusion Criteria

• •1. Determined to not be a surgical candidate
• •2. Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4 osteoarthritis
• •3. Unable to fit in XtremeCT scanner (based on measurement at time of recruitment)
• •4. Contraindications to MRI
• •5. Any hardware present in either knee that could interfere with MRI signal
• •6. Bone marrow lesion(s) caused by acute trauma prior to enrolment
• •7. Radiographic mal-alignment defined by obvious valgus \> 7° or obvious varus \> 7° on measured hip-knee-ankle angle
• •8. No bone marrow lesion detected on baseline (pre-operative) MRI
• •9. Rheumatoid arthritis
• •10. Septic arthritis
• •11. Reactive arthritis
• •12. Gout
• •13. Osteochondritis dissecans of knee resulting in significant bone loss
• •14. Collapse of subchondral bone
• •15. Restricted knee range of motion: passive flexion \< 110° or a flexion contracture \> 30°
• •16. Ligament instability in either knee
• •17. History of other arthropathies (e.g. sickle cell or autoimmune disease)
• •18. History of uncontrolled diabetes: HbA1C level of 8 or higher, measured within 3 months of enrollment
• •19. Unable to perform a functional assessment of either knee
• •20. Current smoker or stopped smoking for less than 3 months
• •21. History of invasive malignancy (Unless treated in the past and has had no clinical signs or symptoms of malignancy for 5 years or longer)
• •22. Has a primary bone tumor in the knee or adjacent to the knee
• •23. Having surgery on another part of the lower limb in addition to the study procedure
• •24. Taking prescription pain medication other than NSAIDs or acetominophen
• •25. Active infection or a history of joint infection
• •26. Pursuing action through the Workers' Compensation Board - Alberta
• •27. BMI \> 40